Happy summer! It's here, the sun, spreading her rays and warming our bones making us all feel giddy like kids in a candy store. I've been enjoying some down time after my first tour since becoming a Momma last month. It was amazing, wonderful, fulfilling and hard to be away from home. I enjoyed visiting with old and new friends, wearing earrings AND a necklace and clothes that didn't require access for feeding a baby. I learned that there are no changing tables in rest stops (at least none in Oregon and California) so the front seat of the car works great when a baby needs a cleaning. I also learned that the heart is a very fragile thing especially when leaving your child for the first time and goodbyes are just as hard the second time. This is the first tour where I performed more house concerts than venues and while I've had various challenges in the past with room "ambiance" while performing, this tour topped it with a mariachi band and ice cream truck (thank you Oakland), motorcycle brigades, fireworks, and my personal favorite, a peacock. If you've never heard the sound a peacock makes you should Google, wiki, you tube it. I think it is one of the more challenging sounds to work into a song, but also one of the most comical. I will say this particular peacock had impeccable timing. And the hardest lesson I seem to have to re-learn every time I make this trip is never EVER leave your windows or vents open south of Sacramento. The. Smell. Is. Terrible. Since being back home, I've had lots of time with Ryder and my fabulous hubby and sprinkles of time to book my Europe tour this fall and shows here in Washington through the end of the year. I may have missed a few deadlines this year (I am not sure what could have distracted me - his name could start with an R....) so our summer schedule is really quiet, but we do have one show here in Seattle and it's a special one. My good friend, Kellee Bradley, is releasing her first album in 9 years and the Lonesome Lovers and I are going to join her for this very special celebration. The show is Saturday, July 26th so mark your calendars and if you are a planner aheader, buy your tickets now. I included the link below. And speaking of summer and sunshine, I'm off to take my little guy to the park and get him some playtime before his nap time. Thank you all for allowing me into your day, I know that time is precious for all of us and I appreciate you being here reading this with me. Now get out there and get your summer on! smooches! carrie Show coming up in Washington: Saturday, July 26th at 9pm Hard Rock Cafe 116 Pike Street Seattle, WA 98101 Carrie Clark & the Lonesome Lovers opening for Kellee Bradley's CD release. Advance tickets available now: http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=4210004Facebook invite: https://www.facebook.com/events/735928586429486Other shows coming up:Thursday, July 31st: Axe and Fiddle, Cottage Grove, OR (solo) Friday, August 1st: Tyee Winery and Buchanan Family Century Farm, Corvallis, OR (all ages)